Zoom Hosts, Co-Hosts, and Alternate Hosts

When using Zoom, you may want to give other users the ability to control your meeting as a host. There are two ways to accomplish this: Making a user a co-host or making a user an alternative host.

Co-Host

Co-hosts are assigned DURING a meeting. When you assign a co-host, you remain the Host with full control over the meeting. The co-host has many, but not all, of the controls that you have as the host.

Co-hosts can:

Share Screen

Start/Stop Recording

Start Polling

Manage Participants

Co-hosts cannot:

• Start the meeting
• Make another user a co-host
• Start or manage breakout rooms
• Start a waiting room
• End the meeting for all participants

To assign a co-host:

1. Click on Manage Participants in the meeting controls at the bottom of the Zoom window.

2. Hover over the name of the participant who is going to be a co-host, and choose More.

3. Click Make Co-Host.

Alternative Host

Alternative hosts are assigned BEFORE a meeting begins by entering their email address when setting up a meeting (Note: A user must have a Zoom account with the MGHIHP to be an alternate host). The alternative host will receive an email indicating that have been given alternative host access to the meeting.

An alternative host can start and end meetings without the meeting creator being present.

If an alternative host starts the meeting, they will become the host and have full host privileges. While in this mode, they can assign co-hosts, start/manage breakout rooms and perform other host functions. If the meeting creator enters the meeting after the alternative host, the alternative host will remain the main host and the meeting creator will be made a co-host. However, the meeting creator can reclaim Host privileges from the alternative host at any time by (1) clicking the More button in the bottom right corner of the "Participants" window and (2) clicking Reclaim Host in the menu.

If an alternative host joins the meeting after the meeting creator has started it, they will automatically become a co-host.

A Note About Cloud Recordings

Cloud recordings will always be associated with the meeting creator. This is true regardless of who starts the cloud recording in the meeting. For example, if a co-host starts the cloud recording, the recording will only be made available to the meeting creator. The co-host will not receive the cloud recording. Similarly, if the alternative host starts the recording, the meeting creator will receive the recording after the fact. The alternative host will not receive the cloud recording. This is the case whether the meeting creator attends the meeting or not.